Sadiq Khan hit by Tube strike threat as second term begins

Union leaders took the shine off Sadiq Khan’s first day of his second term by threatening strikes on the London Underground.

Plans to axe night Tube drivers were opposed by the RMT union, putting staff on a collision course with the capital's mayor, who is also chairman of Transport for London.

Mr Khan pledged to “bring London together” as he was sworn in on Monday at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank.

The former Labour Westminster frontbencher won by a less decisive margin than expected over Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey last weekend.

Night Tube services were introduced in August 2016, but suspended during the pandemic.

London Underground wants to abolish night-specific staff. They will be folded in a general pool of drivers and have night shifts added to their working week.

Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary said: “London Underground’s proposals to rip up an agreement that protects 3,000 Tube drivers' work-life balance has caused uproar in the depots amongst drivers.

“This breach of trust by an out-of-touch management abolishes the part-time jobs of workers – mainly women – who want them. We have been left with no other choice but to prepare the ground for industrial action.”

A change in working habits among commuters is expected to weaken the power of the trade unions the RMT, Aslef and TSSA that represent the majority of the Tube’s 16,500 staff.

Former Transport for London boss Mike Brown said last month: “I do think the dynamic has definitely shifted, because society has proved that 90pc of people can work from home for a given day.”

The prospect of industrial action comes as Mr Khan restarts discussions with Westminster officials over a multi billion-pound bailout of Transport for London.

Nick Dent, director of customer operations for London Underground, said: “We’re bringing in changes to how we roster our drivers to continue to provide a regular Tube service and create more flexibility for our staff. These changes will not result in any job losses.

“We have engaged with our trade unions for some time on these changes, and have listened to their concerns. While we have been able to reach agreement with most of our trades unions, this has not been possible so far with the RMT. We are more than happy to discuss again with the RMT leadership the benefits of such a change to their members. An agreement with all of our unions would be preferable, but it is vital that we make these changes.”